Mage (horse)
Mage (foaled April 18, 2020)[2] is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2023 Kentucky Derby.[3]
| Mage | |
|---|---|
| Sire | Good Magic |
| Grandsire | Curlin |
| Dam | Puca |
| Damsire | Big Brown |
| Sex | Colt |
| Foaled | April 18, 2020 Kentucky, U.S.[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Color | Chestnut |
| Breeder | Grandview Equine |
| Owner | OGMA Investments, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing & Commonwealth Thoroughbreds |
| Trainer | Gustavo Delgado |
| Record | 7: 2–2–1 |
| Earnings | $2,507,450[2] |
| Major wins | |
| American Triple Crown wins: Kentucky Derby (2023) | |
| Last updated on 26 August 2023 | |
Background
Mage is a chestnut colt bred in Kentucky by Grandview Equine. His sire Good Magic was the U.S. Champion Two-Year-Old in 2017 after he won the 2017 Breeders' Cup Juvenile as a maiden; in 2018 he finished second in the Kentucky Derby.[4]
His dam, Puca, is a daughter of Big Brown. Mage was initially sold for $235,000 to New Team from the Runnymede Farm consignment at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Mage is the second black-type horse out of his dam's four foals, the other being a stakes-placed Gun Runner filly named Gunning. The dam, a stakes-winning half sister to Grade I winner Finnegans Wake, has a 2-year-old full brother to Mage and a yearling colt by McKinzie.[4] Mage is a descendent of Darley Arabian.[5]
He is trained by Gustavo Delgado, a four-time Venezuelan Triple Crown-winning trainer.[4]
Mage is owned by OGMA Investments, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing and Commonwealth Thoroughbreds.[6] Commonwealth Thoroughbreds is a micro-shares partnership who joined together after Restrepo and Delgado acquired the colt above their initial budget from the Sequel Bloodstock consignment at Fasig-Tipton's Midlantic Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale in May 2022, having cost $290,000.[4]
Career
Mage began his career as a three-year-old on January 28, 2023, with a victory in his first start, a Maiden Special Weight event over seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park.[7]
His next start was in the Grade II Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park where he finished fourth by about seven lengths to the 2022 US Champion Two-Year-Old Forte.[8]
Four weeks later, Mage entered the Grade I Florida Derby where he finished second to Forte after leading in the straight, beaten by a length.[9] Trainer Gustavo Delgado indicated, "(Mage) might have gotten tired but remember, it's still his third race. How many races did it take Forte to get to the level he is?"[10] Mage collected 40 qualification points on the 2023 Road to the Kentucky Derby and with his fourth in the Fountain of Youth Stakes qualified to start in the Kentucky Derby.
Kentucky Derby
Mage broke slowly in the Derby as he did in his previous two close losing efforts. Jockey Javier Castellano allowed his mount to settle toward the back of the field of 18. A fast pace proved to his benefit, with fractions of :22.35, :45.73, and 1:10.11 set by frontrunners Verifying, Kingsbarns, and Reincarnate. Castellano picked his opportunities to advance and had Mage up to sixth by the mile marker. Down the lane, the lightly raced colt caught leader Two Phil's to win by a length in a final time of 2:01.57.[4] At post-time, Mage went off at 15–1 to win.[11] He joins Regret (1915), Big Brown (2008), and Justify (2018) as the only Derby winners who had only three prior starts. Mage, Justify, and Apollo (1882) are the only horses to win the Derby without having raced as two-year-olds.[4]
Statistics
| Date | Distance | Race | Grade | Track | Odds | Field | Finish | Winning Time |
Winning (Losing) Margin |
Jockey | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 – Three-year-old season | |||||||||||
| Jan 28, 2023 | 7 furlongs | Maiden Special Weight | Gulfstream Park | 11.60 | 8 | 1 | 1:22.54 | 3+3⁄4 lengths | Edgar Perez | [7] | |
| Mar 4, 2023 | 1+1⁄16 miles | Fountain of Youth Stakes | II | Gulfstream Park | 5.90 | 9 | 4 | 1:43.12 | (6+3⁄4 lengths) | Javier Castellano | [8] |
| Apr 1, 2023 | 1+1⁄8 miles | Florida Derby | I | Gulfstream Park | 4.70 | 12 | 2 | 1:49.37 | (1 length) | Luis Saez | [9] |
| May 6, 2023 | 1+1⁄4 miles | Kentucky Derby | I | Churchill Downs | 15.21 | 18 | 1 | 2:01.57 | 1 length | Javier Castellano | [12] |
| May 20, 2023 | 1+3⁄16 miles | Preakness Stakes | I | Pimlico | 1.40* | 7 | 3 | 1:55.12 | (2+1⁄4 lengths) | Javier Castellano | [13] |
| Jul 22, 2023 | 1+1⁄8 miles | Haskell Stakes | I | Monmouth Park | 4.30 | 8 | 2 | 1:49.52 | (1+3⁄4 lengths) | Javier Castellano | [14] |
| Aug 26, 2023 | 1+1⁄4 miles | Travers Stakes | I | Saratoga | 4.70 | 7 | 7 | 2:02.23 | (15 lengths) | Flavien Prat | [15] |
Notes:
An (*) asterisk after the odds means Mage was the post-time favourite.
Pedigree
| Sire Good Magic (2015) |
Curlin (2004) |
Smart Strike (CAN) (1992) |
Mr. Prospector (1970) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classy 'n Smart (CAN) (1981) | |||
| Sheriff's Deputy (1994) |
Deputy Minister (CAN) (1979) | ||
| Barbarika (1985) | |||
| Glinda the Good (2009) |
Hard Spun (2004) |
Danzig (1977) | |
| Turkish Tryst (1991) | |||
| Magical Flash (1990) |
Miswaki (1978) | ||
| Gil's Magic (1983) | |||
| Dam Puca (2012) |
Big Brown (2005) |
Boundary (1990) |
Danzig (1977) |
| Edge (1978) | |||
| Mien (1999) |
Nureyev (1977) | ||
| Miasma (1992) | |||
| Boat's Ghost (2004) |
Silver Ghost (1982) |
Mr. Prospector (1970) | |
| Misty Gallore (1976) | |||
| Rocktheboat (1996) |
Summer Squall (1987) | ||
| Native Boat (1989)[16] |
Mage is inbred 4s × 4d to Danzig, meaning Danzig appears twice in the fourth generation, once the sire's side and once on dam's side of the pedigree. Also is inbred 4s × 5s (not shown in pedigee chart via Miswaki) × 4d to Mr. Prospector.
References
- "Pedigree of Mage". Equineline. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- "Profile of Mage". Retrieved August 26, 2023.
- "Mage Kentucky Derby Horse Odds, History and Predictions (Longshot Trending in Right Direction)". The Duel. May 4, 2023.
- King, Byron (May 6, 2023). "Mage Rallies to Thrilling Kentucky Derby Victory With a rally near the center of the track, Mage edged past Two Phil's to win". Bloodhorse.com. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- "Marske (GB)". Thoroughbred Bloodlines.
- Drummond, Cameron (May 7, 2023). "Lightly raced Mage wins the 2023 Kentucky Derby for his connections from Venezuela". Lexington Herald Leader.
- "Chart for Maiden Special Weight January 28, 2023 at Gulfstream Park – Race 2". equibase.com. January 28, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- "2023 Fountain of Youth Stakes Grade 2 (race 14)". Equibase. March 4, 2023. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
- "2023 Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa Grade 1 (race 14)". Equibase. April 1, 2023. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
- McCarthy, Charlie (April 1, 2023). "Forte Runs Down Mage in Florida Derby Thriller". The Blood-Horse. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
- "Kentucky Derby 2023: Mage pulls off upset in Run for Roses".
- "2023 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve Grade 1 (race 12)". Equibase. May 6, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- "Preakness Stakes (Grade 1 – race 13)". equibase.com. May 20, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
- "2023 TVG.com Haskell Stakes Grade 1 - (race 12)". Equibase. July 22, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
- "2023 Travers Stakes Grade 1 (race 12)". Equibase. August 26, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
- "Thoroughbred Bloodlines – SKYPEEPER (GB) – Family 5-g". www.bloodlines.net. Retrieved May 7, 2023.